Studio Recording Shopping Reviews: New MOTU MicroBook

Its wee size is a clear deception of what it can do the new MOTU MicroBook might be small, but is definitely huge when it comes to audio quality. The MicroBook is a USB-powered audio interface that makes studio-grade performance possible at a size of your pocket. Despite being small, about the size of a regular pocket, the MicroBook can turn your Mac or PC into a personal 4×2 recording studio all complete with the needed audio I/O and mixing features for professional recording.

Check out MOTU MicroBook Interface.

Compatible with both Mac and PC, the MicroBook make complete personal recording more convenient. It has four simultaneous inputs for a microphone, a guitar, a keyboard, or any other stereo line-level device. It has a 20dB pad and a 48V phantom power in its condenser mics, which allows its mic preamp to produce nothing but a neutral coloration and pristine sound. Not only that, the MicroBook also offers flexibility you can choose among a programmable analog, a digital, and headphone outputs.

Because the MicroBook is small, its mic input ins a balanced ¼-inch jack. But if you want to use a mic cable with an XLR plug, the MicroBook comes with an XLR-to-1/4-inch adapter. Its Precision Digital Trim allows you to control analog trim on all analog units digitally. This only means one thing you get to enjoy both worlds: the excellent signal quality of analog audio circuitry and the fine-tune precision of digital control. Not only that, you also get to save and recall trim settings on your computer.

But perhaps the best thing about the MicroBook is its superb audio quality. It provides rigid audio quality particularly tailored to meet the demands of most professional recording applications. And because the MicroBook belongs to a family of high quality devices such as the FireWire, USB and PCI audio interfaces, you are assured that it embodies decades of great engineering experience.

Most of the audio interface brands that we see in the market today (even the expensive ones) usually cut corners with unbalanced analog inputs and outputs. These brands greatly compromise audio performance, making it fall way below the standards of a balanced circuit. But the MicroBook has well balanced inputs and outputs that ensure only the best protection possible against RF interference, AC hum, and other noise-creating environmental factors.

The MicroBook’s guitar input gives only the proper guitar impedance loads for guitars, so you can play through guitar-processing plug-ins in a host software with the assurance that you will get a natural feel and a natural response. MicroBook’s “mini” eight-inch analog input can be connected to an iPod or any other stereo-level signal. This lets you mix an audio input with other inputs and route such inputs to any output device.

Thanks to the MicroBook, you can now have high quality I/O recording, personal audio tracking, laptop-based DJing, anywhere and anytime.

Learn more about the MOTU MicroBook Interface.